During the performance of a pedicure it is necessary to maintain the toes of the pedicure recipient in a spaced apart relation to provide easy access by the person performing the pedicure, as well as to prevent damage to any of the beautification treatment performed on the toes. Furthermore, toe separation is preferred for a period of time following the pedicure to prevent damage to the beautification treatment due to inadvertent contact between adjacent toes. Historically, the separation of toes during pedicure treatments has been achieved using wads of tissue, cotton and like random articles. In addition, various toe spacing devices specifically designed for use during the performance of a pedicure are commercially available. More recently, various pedicure sandals and sandal systems have been developed in an effort to enable individuals to walk around after a pedicure without damaging the treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,987 discloses a pedicure sandal assembly to be worn following a pedicure, including a base portion having a foot connecting strap and spacers mounted thereon. The sandal disclosed in the '987 patent has significant limitations. First, because the sandal is for use after a pedicure it does not address the issue of providing toe separation during the pedicure. Second, the disclosed sandal has a relatively complicated structure, requiring the assembly of a plurality of individual components during manufacture. Consequently, employing the disclosed assembly as a disposable sandal would be cost prohibitive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,880 discloses a pedicure aid incorporating individually attachable toe separator subassemblies for separating the toes during and after a pedicure, and wearable as a sandal to protect the toes from damage after a pedicure. However, like the sandal disclosed in the '987 patent, the multi-component sandal assembly disclosed in the '880 patent would be impractical for use as a disposable pedicure sandal.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,870,837 and 5,946,823 disclose further pedicure sandal designs wearable during and after the pedicure procedure. However, each of the disclosed assemblies suffer from one or more of the aforementioned limitations.
Accordingly, there is a well established need for a comfortable pedicure sandal wearable both during and after the performance of a pedicure, wherein the construction of the sandal is conducive to its manufacture as a cost-effective disposable article.